This course exposes participants to heritage and aesthetics discourse in the Malay-Indonesian society. In recent years, heritage business is booming, taken up both by the state and private sector. However, the educational and academic engagement of heritage and aesthetics discourse is still not extensive. As a result, the social articulation on heritage is still not developed. While built heritage is given slightly better attention, this is not the case for intangible cultural heritage. The latter could be understood from the standpoint of its evolution and development. It could also be approached from the perspectives of aesthetics.

This course aims to focus on the following:

1. Delineate the major heritage, especially intangible cultural heritage that are now getting traction, and the reasons behind those interest. This could refer to politics of heritage.
2. Survey the list of heritage that have been conserved, documented and studied or those that deserve recognition and conservation. This historical survey could serve as important data for future research.
3. Provide the general approach on how heritage could be documented and why discourse on heritage must be an important component in heritage planning. It also furnishes the approach of understanding aesthetics, which includes the sense of beauty, clarity and ethical sensibilities.

Heritage and aesthetics affiliation should be understood by both experts and public.  Heritage discourse, going beyond identity marker, are important cultural and aesthetical corpus in any community building. This course is relevant for teachers, curators, cultural managers and planners as well as cultural activists.

Medium of Instruction: English